BISHOPS: VOTE NO ON MX

The nation's Roman Catholic bishops sent a letter to every member of Congress Friday urging them to vote against funds to produce the MX missile.

The letter from the U.S. Catholic Conference, copies of which were dropped in congressional post offices Friday afternoon, was timed to reach Congress before the first of four votes on the intercontinental missile beginning Tuesday.

The Catholic conference, which consists of about 285 Roman Catholic bishops in the United States, said its opposition to the missile was based on these two considerations: "the potentially destabilizing impact of this weapons system on the nuclear arms race," and "its cost, viewed in light of pressing human needs here and elsewhere in the world."

The letter to Congress was clearly the most specific and firm opposition to the MX missile expressed by the Roman Catholic bishops.

Under a compromise last year, $1.5 billion to produce 21 MX missiles was withheld until each house of Congress voted this spring on whether to release those funds. One vote in each house will be to authorize the release, the other to appropriate funds. The first vote in the Senate has been scheduled for Tuesday.

Of the 100 senators there are 19 Roman Catholics, while among 435 representatives, there are 125 Catholics. The letter from the bishops is not morally binding under Catholic doctrine, but Catholics are conscience-bound to give it serious thought.

By all counts, the vote will be close, as it has been several times in the past. A poll by United Press International reported that 42 senators supported the MX, 40 were ready to vote against it, and the rest were undeclared.